A while back, I got a chance to take a look at an independent action film called Fist 2 Fist 2: Weapon of Choice starring Hapkido master Jino Kang. For an indie action film, it was a hell of a lot better than most big-budget action movies that came out in the past decade, in my opinion. Not only did Jino Kang star in the film, he also acted as the film’s choreographer and co-director. He’s got a real good eye when it comes to action and film-making. An earlier film, Fist 2 Fist wasn’t nearly as refined as Weapon of Choice, but it was still a very solid and entertaining action flick. When I was given an opportunity to check out a new short film series that Master Kang had been working on, Kid Fury, I jumped at the chance because I wanted to see what he could do with a short film. As it turns out, quite a bit. In addition to providing some very strong fight sequences, Master Kang also turns in a great performance as Master Huang. Kid Fury ended up being one of the best short films that I’d seen in years. Here’s the best part though: Kid Fury didn’t end there. It was intended as a pilot episode and thankfully, we got another episode: The Phantom Witch.
Shortly after the events of the first episode, young Jimmy is still on the lookout for his mysterious box. Secretly “aided” by Master Huang, who survived being stabbed by Jimmy, the young fighter is told that a “phantom witch” has his box, and is given directions to her hideout. I’m not going to spoil the story here, but it does take some surprisingly interesting turns and we are introduced to a new character, the Phantom Witch, played by Virginia Rollowjay. The character is very interesting and clearly has some history with Master Huang. That’s also where the sharp writing comes in. Master Kang’s sense of humor is definitely on display here, as the interactions between the witch and Huang are pretty funny. Timothy Mah as Jimmy is fantastic. He brings a pretty high level of intensity to his character that’s looking for a box. I have to say, Timothy is going to succeed at whatever he wants to do, whether it’s acting, music or the martial arts. Or all three. He also did some of the music for Kid Fury and it’s really good. He’s extremely talented and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
While The Phantom Witch is only 18 minutes long, there’s more stuff packed into that 18 minutes than you will ever find in a 90 minute big-budget film put out by Hollywood these days. Kid Fury: The Phantom Witch does exactly what a follow-up should do: Up the ante and leave the audience wanting more. I want to know more about this relationship between Huang and the witch, because that still has the potential for some more laughs. But the fight sequences are still outstanding with Timothy Mah and Master Kang taking the lead. There is definitely an air of mystery throughout the show that I really like. The cinematography is really good and it still retains that semi-noirish feel from the first episode. I really can’t wait to see where the next episode goes, and I absolutely hope that there will be a next episode. Master Jino Kang has become one of my favorite martial arts actors/film-makers in the past 5 years. While it may be true that his filmography may not be that large; it’s more about quality than quantity. With Fist 2 Fist, Weapon of Choice, Kid Fury and Kid Fury: The Phantom Witch, Jino Kang is four for four. I can definitely recommend Kid Fury without hesitation. I think Kid Fury has the potential to become a new kind of phenomenon when it comes to short films. I’m absolutely loving it right now. So…to quote Oliver Twist: Please sir, I want some more. Yeah, it’s definitely worth checking out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. One last point: What’s in the box?